Talk:Incorruptibility

It's worth noting that although in some places in the Orthodox world incorruptibility has been associated with sanctity, in other places it has indicated the opposite! — FrJohn (talk)

Yes, as I understand it, in some parts of the world incorruptibility has been associated with beliefs in vampires or the influence of evil spirits upon the natural order.
In Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, the repose of the saintly monk Zossima was shortly followed by his accelerated decomposition, which caused a great consternation within the monastery and in the outside community, who appeared to have expected his incorruptibility. Jerry picker 18:59, August 24, 2006 (CDT)

Yep, that's a great reference. Not sure about the vampire thing, but I've heard that on Mt. Athos, the expectation is that the saints will decompose quickly, so that their bones can be dug up and placed with his brothers, e.g.:

"Near the railing on the wall was a basket with the skull and bones of a monk who , had died three years ago and had been dug up. His name and the place where he lived and the date of his death were written on the skull. The monks are dug up after three years and their bones exposed that way for a week. Then they are put in a chamber nearby. We looked in and saw quantities of skulls and bones."[1] — FrJohn (talk)